My concerts have always been filled with the music I love. I’m simply sharing on stage the music that has been close to my heart since childhood. For this album, I especially featured Noh, the traditional Japanese performing art, and connected it with the Silk Road — a place that left a deep impression on me during my travels around the world.
Interestingly, even after performing thousands of concerts worldwide, I have never felt audiences to be truly “different.” No matter the country or region, when faced with music, their reactions are the same, and the bond of the heart is universal. That’s why I have never changed the way I compose or perform depending on the location.
I spent many years studying classical music and mastering its techniques. Using those skills to embrace the diverse music I have loved since childhood brings accessibility and excitement to my concerts. When the audience discovers a joy of living through my music, that becomes my greatest joy as well.
At the Moscow Conservatory, I was able to learn techniques and forms of expression that I could not acquire at a Japanese music university. While I was there, a coup took place that marked the end of the Cold War, yet my professors continued to give lessons without showing the slightest concern. From that, I learned that dedicating one’s life to music — even at the risk of life itself — and love for music surpass everything else.
The most significant milestone is that this is the first time one of my albums has been released in the United States. Another is that the legendary Ron Carter participated in it. And perhaps most remarkable is the combination of Japan’s traditional performing arts with the highest level of jazz — something I had never attempted before.
Compared to the struggles of my past — searching for ways to live as a musician, enduring war, poverty, and raising a child alone — the new chapter would be about letting go of ideals and discovering a world filled only with love, the joy of music, and the joy of life.
Since this album is a journey along the Silk Road, I hope listeners enjoy the exotic atmosphere it brings. With Ron Carter’s jazz added, it transcends even the Silk Road, creating a space that is truly “beyond.” In the final track, I want listeners to feel so light it’s as if they are being released into the universe.
That is exactly what defines this album. It features Noh chanting — often called the world’s oldest form of opera — the pinnacle of jazz bass, the unique Mongolian khöömei throat singing (one person producing two voices simultaneously), whistling, and the Romanian pan flute. These are all extremely rare and unique, requiring special techniques that few in the world can master.